Happy New Year!!

Hey B!

That's what J says when he sees Ben. These two boys have been pretty darn close for over 2 years now.  It's so much fun to watch them grow up.  They really are like brothers.. brothers who live one house away from each other.

I'm a fan.

Goofy Boys.

Wrestling has become part of our lives. A good part.  :) Can't get enough of these two smiles!

Best two stinkers on the planet, right here. :)

Dec Phone Dump!

We don't have too many this month.. been using my regular camera a lot. I did think that the ones from the Christmas service at church were pretty cool!

Polar Express, 2011

We decided to take Jackson on the Polar Express again this year, and I'm SO glad we did!  We went with about 10-12 of our friends and their kids and it was a blast!  We decided to leave Ethan this time with my friend Summer to babysit since he wouldn't enjoy it as much at his age.  He went to bed on time, but J had so much fun that he was worn out about 930p and he fell asleep!  Fortunately, it was the end of the train ride and we were home by 10p and got him right to bed.  The polar express had Santa and a Reindeer and even Frosty on it this year!  They sang lots of Christmas songs and Holiday stole the show with her amazing singing skills and surprising correct lyrics to every song! The kids really had a blast - I hope we make this a regular tradition!  Thanks Em and Lisa for the pics!

17 Months!

 My sweet baby is 17 months old today.  It's hard for me to believe how fast times flies this time around.  With Jackson, I was a new mom, in a new place, with a new job (stay-at home mom)... it was really hard and busy, but great too.  With Ethan, I knew what I was doing and really savored every moment and memory and milestone... but with both of my babies, time just moves way too fast.  Before I was a mom, I wanted to be so badly.  It's what I've wanted my whole life.  So before I had Jackson, I remember the weeks would drag on and the time between Christmas's seemed so long.  Not anymore.  Now, I find myself saying he's ALREADY 17 mos old!?  It doesn't feel like 17 months ago I held this precious, happy peaceful baby in my arms for the first time.  I just feel so abundantly blessed - I know I say it all the time but that's what's on my heart. 

My boys are so different too.  Ethan is talking "up a storm" (as we say here in the south).  He cannot get enough of reading books - specifically books about animals.  Mostly just the pictures... he wants to copy what you say and then he wants to say what sound that animal makes. He knows almost all of them by now.  He also copies everything he sees his brother do.  He always wants to know where Bubba is.  He watched his very first Baby Einstein (Baby Noah) and it actually kept his attention - mostly cuz we were in the car and he had no other choice.  Otherwise, TV is not his thing.  Books and building is his thing.  Again, opposite of his brother.  He sleeps great - still preferring 2 naps/day and about 12 hours at night. He will let you know if he's tired or hungry - very quickly. He is generally so so happy and loves his family - especially his daddy and his Poppie. He is definitely more mischievous than his brother was. He will do things he knows he's not supposed to over and over and over again - despite the NO's or the swats to his hand (which was a last-ditch effort but still didn't work.) or the distractions to something else.  He just loves all attention - good or bad.  He also will climb on anything, take a bad tumble, and dust himself off and go again - over and over.   He has own little personality and I LOVE it.  He's just perfect, the way God made him.  

I'm just glad God gave him to me.  :)

Merry Christmas!!!

Buzz Buzz....bzzz....

 Well, goodbye hair salons, Ryan has snagged a pair of hair clippers and now he's on a mission for Jackson and his haircuts to be done at home.  So he experimented with Jackson and J did remarkably well!  Plus, he's all buzzed - which I wanted since his hair was SO long!  I think it's pretty cute.  :)

 Before and After!

Ethan Monkey.

My boy has learned to climb overnight.  It was inevitable.  If I really think back, it was around this time when J started climbing like crazy.  It is around this time that I really think to myself that I am grateful I had a boy first (rather than a girl) because I'm much better prepared for the rambunctiousness.  I secretly really enjoy watching the mischief in his little eyes and the pride he feels when he gets to the top or falls "just the right way."  

I LOVE having boys!!! They keep me on my toes...(cuz they sure aren't!) :)

Sweet Love

 Usually, they are fighting over Jackson's chair, but the other day, I turned around and they were sitting like this, quietly, watching something on TV.. which really made me smile.  J is so tolerant of his brother most of the time... which is SO sweet to watch.  I'm so thankful that they actually enjoy each other - more every day too..... My babies are growing up. :(

NY Resolutions Report Card

I'm going to do something I never do - I'm going to do an evaluation on myself regarding my NY Resolutions.... Maybe this will become a regular thing every year because let's be honest - why do NY Resolutions if you're not going to hold yourself responsible?
So here goes...
These were my NY Resolutions from early January - with my notes on it next to it.

1. Lose at least 25 pounds and preferably, 30 by the end of the year.  So upon writing this - I do remember my weight and let's say that 15 pounds of that is gone. I didn't accomplish my goal of 25 pounds... and I honestly know why I'm struggling with that... I eat like crap.  I work out regularly and for some reason, I always use that as my excuse to eat so much junk!  Right now, Ryan and I are 30 days into P90X and I've lost 0 pounds... Why?  Cuz I eat so much food!!!!  Jan2, the diet kicks in folks.  Seriously.

2.  Have ALL credit cards paid, in full.  Ok this one makes me really smile.  Ry and I are on a super strict budget right now and we have paid down a TON of money on our cc's.... We still have a bit to go but I'm happy to report that they both should be gone by the end of next year if we can stick to this budget.  :)

3. Spend at least 3 full hours every single day, dedicated to Jackson 100%.  This does not even come close to happening.  I wish I could say it does but I'd say that 1 full hour gets dedicated to him but that's during Ethan's 1st nap... It's almost impossible to do this right now but I try to give them both as much individual attention as I can and I must say, my kids are not starved for attention, whatsoever.  They prefer to spend time with each other anyway - I'm very blessed at how well they play together...

4. Run at least one half marathon in 2011. DONE!!!  Check box!  My friend Connie and I completed the Nashville Country Music Half Marathon in April.  I was hoping for one more but opted to do P90X instead..

5. Make at least one blog entry every day of the year. DONE!!!  I'm happy to report that I have one blog posting for every single day this year!  99.5% of the time I actually was able to update it on that day but I did have to back date a few posts to make it every day... but that's still a lot of work!  

I'm really considering what my NY resolutions will be next year... I want to hit them all so I need to be specific with it.  I love to challenge myself, so I'd like to make it interesting.  :)

Little Brown Eyes!

Merry Christmas, from J and E.  :)

Precious Truth

Christmas is very different for Jackson this year.  He knows who Santa is this year.  He knows some Christmas songs.  He wants to decorate, bake and prepare for Christmas.  Most importantly, he knows why we celebrate Christmas.  I caught him singing "Away in a Manger" the other day, so I asked him what that song as all about and he explained to me so clearly and carefully about the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she was going to have a baby.  So she went to Bethlehem following a star and had a baby in a manger.  That baby was Jesus and "he is our Lord."  I was almost in tears listening to my sweet boy.  
I couldn't be more proud.  

Now, if we all just recognized that that's the true reason we celebrate Christmas...